UKR plays a second ‘Walsall Concerto’

Reviving a classic old railtour name, UK Railtours is heading for rare freight lines in the
West Midlands on August 11.

The first ‘Walsall Concerto’ ran in 2003, and this new ‘Forgotten Tracks’ train will traverse some rarely used lines in the Black Country and beyond, including Wolverhampton Steel Terminal, the Birch Coppice branch and the former Oxford, Worcester & Wolverhampton line north from Stourbridge Junction to Round Oak steel terminal.

The remains of the Vale of Neath line to Cwmgwrach in South Wales sees very little traffic, and it is hard to imagine there was once a double-track line here as UK Railtours ‘Valley of the Witch’ tour passes the site of Resolven station on March 10. DB Cargo No. 66230 displays its 1Z20 reporting number prominently as No. 66150 brings up the rear of the train. STEVE BURDETT

The train starts at London Euston and will then run via Stechford, Aston, Perry Barr South Junction, Soho North Junction and Dudley Port to Wolverhampton Steel Terminal.

The itinerary continues via Soho South Junction, New Street, Water Orton and Kingsbury Branch Junction to Birch Coppice before heading to Water Orton, the Sutton Park line, Walsall, Bescot Stadium, Perry Barr North Junction, Galton Junction, Old Hill and Stourbridge Junction to Round Oak.